Printing press



Get. 8, 1935. c. A. MElsEL ET AL PRINTING PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 4, 1954 Inv-enigmi Caze@ uMe s eZ,

R. Waz'ams,

C. 8, 1935. f;l A MElSEL Er L 2,017,00

PRINTING PRESS Filed May 4, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 C. A. MEISEL ET AL PRINTING PRESS Filed May 4, 1954 Get. 8, 1935.

UCL 3, 19355 c. A, MElsEl. ET AL ZW PRINTING PRESS Filed May4 4, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 @aga I! Il Il Il im dii/ig@ eZ, (30021909 B. WZZQW/G,

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 {aven/Zona: Uhazles uMes C A MEISEL EIAL PRINTING PRESS Flled May 4 1934 @et s, m35.

Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES.

anni@ EN'i` OFFICE PRINTING PRESS tion of Massachusetts Application May 4, 1934, Serial No. 723,850

13 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses and a primary object thereof is to provide an improved construction of press capable of printing on a web a series of immediately adjacent impressions, the length of which may vary in accordance with the adjustment of the press. Our invention is here embodied in a press of the type wherein a printing cylinder is reciprocated along the web, rolling in contact with the paper to make an impression thereon.

Our invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of the specific embodiment shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a press;

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation of a smaller scale showing parts of the press located to the right of Fig. 1. A portion of the right of Fig. 1 duplicates a portion of the left of Fig. 2 to show the relation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section with parts broken away illustrating the impression bed and appurtenant mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the impression cylinder and appurtenant mechanism, various parts being omitted for simplicity;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 4 on a larger scale and with parts broken away;

Figs. 8, 9 and l0 are sections on the like numbered lines of Fig. 7 respectively;

Fig. 11 is a partly diagrammatic side view J5 illustrating inking mechanism;

Figs. 12 and 13 are comparable fragmentary views illustrating different positions of the parts; Fig. 14 is a detail in plan of part of the mechanism of Fig. 11 in the position of that figure;

' 40 and Fig. 15 is a detail end view of elements appearing in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 3, the press there shown is organized on a pair of longitudinally extending main frames 25. A power shaft 22 shown at the left of Fig. 1 and driven through the band wheel 24 from any suitable source of power actuates various constituent mechanisms of the press, in part through the longitudinally extending shaft 26. Between the side frames 2l! (see Fig. 3) we provide a suitable impression surface or table 28. As seen in Fig. l, the web of paper w may be drawn from any suitable supply and herein is drawn forwardly continuously but at a variable ards S6.

(C1. lOl-212) rate by unwinding rolls 3l) driven through an adjustable disc and roller train 32 from the main shaft and passes over a iioating loop or dance roll 34 to the table or impression surface 28. It is drawn intermittently over the table by means of 5 feed rolls disposed to the right beyond Fig. 1. these rolls are not illustrated as such but their position is indicated in Fig. 2 wherein is shown the driving mechanism therefor through a suitable intermittent actuating device such as the l0 ratchet wheel 36 adapted to be rotated in one direction and in one phase of the movement of gear 38 which is oscillated by rack 4B reciprocated from a crank disc 42 taking motion from the shaft 26, as indicated in Fig. 2. l5

On the side frames 2Q is supported in opposition to the table 28 a reciprocating frame or carriage 48 carrying one or more printing cylinders 59. We have herein illustrated two such cylinders, the press being adapted to print in two 20 colors. The carriage is reciprocated longitudinally of the frames by means of connecting rods 52 secured thereto at either side thereof and crank driven through wheels 54 taking motion from power shaft 22. To permit substantially the 25 full circumference of the cylinders 5E! to be utilized, when desired, for printing, the length of stroke of the carriage 48 is herein equal to the circumference of the cylinders. As the carriage is reciprocated over the impression bed 28 the cyl- 30 inders are positively rotated by means hereinafter to be described. f

In the embodiment of the invention shown the cylinders print while the carriage 48 is moving from right to left viewing Fig. 1 and make no 35 impression during the opposite phase of the reciprocation. Herein the axes of the cylinders move in a single horizontal plane and the impression surface 28 is tripped or lowered out of cooperation with the cylinders during the return 40 movement of the carriage from left to right view- .ing Fig. 1. The mechanism herein illustrated for effecting this is best seen in Fig. 3. The table 28 is supported by suitable vertical screw shafts 5B working in nuts 58 -rotatably mounted in stand- 45 The nuts are formed externally with gear teeth meshing with racks 62 which also have upwardly facing rack teeth meshing with sectors t4 on rock shaft 65 controlled by cams 66' on a cam shaft 68 driven through gear train 50 lil and countershaft 'l2 from the longitudinally extending shaft 26. The left-hand cam viewing Fig. 3 is a track cam and the right-hand cam an edge cam. It will be understood that at the extremes of movement of the carriage 48 the racks 55 62 are reciprocated through the oscillation of the sectors under control of the cams and turn the nuts 58 slightly, causing the screws 58 to lower or elevate the table 28 respectively to a position wherein the paper 28 will be moved away from the path of the printing plate on the surface of the printing cylinder 50 or to an elevation wherein the paper makes .contact with such plate to receive an impression therefrom.

An important feature of the press herein shown is found in the fact that the printing cylinder 50 rotates in the same direction during both phases of movement of the carriage 48 in which it is rotatably mounted. This is important particularly in insuring proper application of ink to the plates. Rotation of the cylinder is herein effected by means of xed racks '|4 and '|6 in which run pinions 18 and 80 respectively connected to the cylinder in such a way as to drive the same in desired manner as presently to be described. .Since in the embodiment 'of the invention shown the cylinder moves with its axis in a fixed horizontal plane and the pinions rotate about this aXis, as will appear, and the racks are fixed, the construction is an example of a mechanism in which the rack and pinion means are at xed positions relative to the cylinder. Hence vthe toothed parts cooperate .along unvarying predetermined pitch rlines ensuring an easy and accurate movement.

As best seen in Figs. 7 to 10, the pinions 18 and are loosely mounted on the shaft 82 of the printing cylinder 50. The racks 'I4 and '|6 oppose each other, engaging their pinions at opposite sides of the axis so that one pinion is driven in opposite direction to the other, the direction of movement of each pinion, of course, reversing as the direction of movement of the ,carriage changes fronr one phase of its reciprooation to another. In Fig. 7 we may consider the carriage as having completed its stroke toward the right and just about to start back toward the left on its printing stroke and the pinions 18 and 80 respectively about to be revolved in thedirection of the arrows shown by the racks meshing therewith. ,Suitable oppositely arranged one-way clutch mechanisms are interposed between the pinions and the cylinder. Thus, when the carriage starts to move to the left, pinion 18 will begin to rotate clockwise and (see Fig. 8) the square openings 84 therein will ride over the bevelled ends of the axially disposed springpressed dogs 88 carried by the adjacent disc 88 which is fast on the shaft 82 and will be ineffective to drive this disc and the cylinder. On the contrary pinion 80 (seerFig. 9) has completed a clockwise rotation which carried Vthe leading walls of square openings therein over the bevelled faces of dogs 92 permitting the dogs to snap into the openings with the shoulders thereof in position as seen in Fig. 9 toy permit pinion 80, now about to move counterclockwise or in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9, to drive the disc 84 which carries the dogs in a counterclockwise direction and therewith the cylinder 50 to the shaft 82 of which the disc is keyed. On the ensuing opposite phase of the reciprocation of the cylinder carriage the 'two pinions will be moving in the opposite directions, the clutch provided by dogs 92 will slip while the clutch provided by dogs 86 will drive, but since the direction of motion .of pinion 'I8 will have 4.been reversed because it Willbe travelling in the opposite `direction along its rack, pinion 18 will" then be .moving counter- `clockwise and will drive the cylinder counter- Aand 6 wherein one end of shaft 82 of the cylinlder is shown as carrying a brake drum 96 with `which cooperate tWo substantially semi-circular brake shoes 98 pivoted at |00 on the side frame of the carriage 48. The shoes 88 are normally pressed apart and out of braking contact with drum 86 by a spring |02 between their free ends. The spring may surround the bolt I 04 connecting the free ends of the brake shoes, which bolt is pivoted on the end of shaft |06 journalled in one of the side frames of the carriage 48. To apply the .brake shoes .against the force of the spring the shaft |06 may carry an eccentric |00 adapted to engage the end of the lower brake shoe as indicated and shaft |06 may be rocked at the proper time .by .a lever ||0 carrying the cam roll v| |2 co- 225 operating with .rise |14 (see Fig. 4) adjustably secured on disc |'6 vmounted on and rotating with the shaft 82.

Suitable ink-applying rolls denoted generally by the numeral I8 (see Fig. 11) cooperate with plate cylinder ||5 to apply ink thereto. We prefer, however, not to carry the entire inking mechanism on the carriage 48 .but to provide stationary fountains |20 (see Fig. 1) on the main frame of the machine at either end ofthe path oi movement of the carriage 48. From these fountains a ductor roll |22 may transfer ink to a distributing plate |24 from which in turn, preferably Y after the ink has been worked thereon by transversely vibrating distributor roll |26, .a ductor roll |28 transfers it to the ink-applying rolls. To

effect this purpose the ink-distributing plate (see Fig. 15) may be reciprocated relatively to carriage 48. Herein, Aas best `seen in Rig. 11, there are two distributing plates |24, one for each cylinder 50, supported (see Fig. 15) through laterally extending'arms |29 from the side members |30 slidable in ways in the side frames of carriage 4B. The central portions of Ythese members are provided with rack lteeth |32 and the plates are reciprocated by the action of oscillating pinions |34 meshing with these teeth. The methodby which these pinions are driven will be best understood from Figs.' 1 and 4 and it will be Aseen that their common shaft |35 'carries a pinion .|36

which is oscillated by rack |38 driven by crank pin |40 on a gear |42 which runs in the rack '14. The timing of the parts is preferably such that the plate moves throughseveral and preferably an odd number of cycles for each cycle of the carriage` 48 for reasons which will appear.

On the extreme of the stroke of the carriage vto the right as indicated in Fig. 11, the plate |24 from which ink is supplied to the adjacent plate cylinder (that shownin the gure) is protracted from the frame l48 beneath ductor roll |22 which is operated by a suitably timed cam |46 (see Fig. 1) to transfer ink from the fountain to the plate. As the carriage then moves toward the left, the plate |24 is retracted beneath distributing roll |26 to a position beneath ductor roll |28. The side member |30 which supports the plates may carry cam ,surfaces |48 which cooperate with arms |50 operating'ductor roll |28 in such manner that `as the plate -moves from the position of Fig. 11 to the position of Fig. 12 the ductor roll |23 is lowered onto the plate to take ink therefrom. The carriage still moving toward the left, on account of the timing of the parts the plate is again reciprocated to the right to the position of Fig. 13 causing the ductor roll to be lifted to transfer ink to the ink-applying rolls.

The ink-distributing plates |24 herein are moved through an odd number of strokes for each stroke of the cylinder-carrying carriage 43, for example three strokes during each stroke of the carriage. This provides that the right-hand plate viewing Fig. l1 will be protracted into cooperation with the right-hand fountain when the carriage is at its right-hand extreme of movement as illustrated and that the left-hand plate will be protracted into cooperation with the lefthand fountain when the carriage has moved to its extreme left-hand position. The fact that the plates make more than one stroke during each stroke of the carriage provides for the operation of mechanism to transfer the ink as above described.

We have deemed it unnecessary to show in detail mechanism for operating all the rolls of the inking mechanism. Those carried by the carriage 48 may be driven through suitable trains from gear |52 (Fig. 4) on the cylinder shaft..

1t will be understood that the length of the impression made on each cycle depends on the length of the printing plate carried by cylinder 5d and that a length equal to the maximum length of plate which can be accommodated on the cylinder can be printed. The web feeding mechanism indicated in Fig. 2 is adjusted to draw forward during the idle stroke of the cylinder a sufficient length of web to provide 'for desired spaclng of the impressions, usually such as to cause them immediately to succeed one another with no substantial intervening unprinted portions. In the case of multi-color work the table '28 presents separate spaced impression surfaces to each cylinder 5B and the multi-color impression is completed by successive cycles. The maximum length of impression corresponds to the distance between the centers of the cylinders. To cite an actual example, a two color press has been coni structed having cylinders of 22-inch circumference spaced eighteen inches apart and is .adapted to print on each cycle an impression varying from three to eighteen inches in length. The cylinders operate accurately and easily by virtue of the fact that the relation of the racks and gears is fixed. Since the cylinder always rotates in one direction, the cooperating inking rolls do also and an efcient and uniform application of ink to the plate is assured.

We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and we therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A web press comprising a plate cylinder,

means for reciprocating the same through a stroke substantially equivalent to a single revolution of the cylinder, an impression surface over which the web is trained and in opposition to which the cylinder moves, rack and pinion means in fixed relation to the cylinder arranged to revolve it in the same direction during both phases of its reciprocatory movement, inking means cooperating with the cylinder and means to sepasurface away from the cylinder during one phase of the reciprocation of the latter, means to revolve the cylinder in the same direction during both phases of its reciprocating movement and inking means cooperating with the'cylinder.

3. A web press comprising a plate cylinder, means for reciprocating the same to move its axis back and forth along the same path through a stroke substantially equivalent to a single revolution of the cylinder, an impression surface over which the web is trained and in opposition to which the cylinder moves, means for moving said surface away from the cylinder during one phase of the reciprocation of the latter, means to revolve the cylinder in the same direction during both phases of its reciprocating movement comprising fixed racks at opposite sides of said axis, pinions in fixed meshing relation with said racks and one-way clutch devices of opposite driving effect connecting said pinions respectively to the cylinder and inking means cooperating with the cylinder. Y

4. A press comprising a plate cylinder, means for reciprocating the same, an impression surface in opposition to which the cylinder moves, means for rotating the cylinder during the phases of its reciprocation, said means operating to revolve the cylinder always in the same direction, braking means effective on the cylinder at the limits of its stroke to check revolution thereof and inking means cooperating with the cylinder.

5. A press comprising a plate cylinder, means for reciprocating the same, an impression surface in opposition to which the cylinder moves, means for rotating the cylinder during the phases of `its reciprocation, said means operating to revolve the cylinder always in the same direction, a brake for "the cylinder and means coming into cooperation with said brake as the cylinder moves to the ends of its stroke for applying said brake.

6. A press comprising a plate cylinder, means for reciprocatingV the same through a stroke equal to its circumference, means for rotating the cylinder during the phases of its reciprocation, said means operating to revolve the cylinder always in the same direction, a brake for the cylinder and means timed in synchronism with the cylinder for applying the brake as the cylinder completes a revolution at the ends of its stroke.

7. A press comprising a plate cylinder, means for reciprocating the same through a stroke equal to its circumference, means for rotating the cylinder during the phases of its reciprocation, said means operating to revolve the cylinder always in the same direction, a brake for the cylinder and a cam turning with the cylinder having a rise for applying the brake as the cylinder completes a revolution at the ends of its stroke.

8. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impression surface, a plate cylinder on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with the cylinder, an ink fountain adjacent an end of the path of travel of the cylinder, ink transfer means on the carriage, power operated means for positively protracting the same therefrom to take ink from the fountain and for positively retracting the same to deliver it to said ink-applying devices.

9. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impression surface, a plate cylinder on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with the cylinder, an ink fountain adjacent an end of the path of travel of the cylinder, a plate reciprocable on the carriage, means for operating the same to protract it at the end of the stroke, and ductor rolls cooperating with said plate in protracted and retracted position respectively to deliver ink thereto from the fountain and therefrom to the inkapplying devices.

10. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impression surface, rotary printing means on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with said means, ink fountains adjacent the end of the path of travel of the carriage, a plate reciprocable onthe carriage, means for moving it through an odd number of strokes for each stroke of the carriageY timed to protract the same at the ends of the carriage stroke into cooperation With the adjacent fountain, and means associated respectively With the fountain and with said ink-applying devices respectively to deliver ink to the plate from the fountain and from the vplate to the ink-applying devices.

11. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impressionY surface, rotary printing means on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with said means, ink fountains adjacent the end of the path of travel of the carriage, a plate reciprocable on the carriage, means for moving the same on movement of the carriage effective to protract it into cooperation with said fountain at an end of the carriage stroke, means to deliver ink from the `fountain to the protracted plate, a ductor roll on the carriage to transfer ink from the retracted plate to said ink-applying devices, and means moving with the plate for operating said ductor roll consequentially to movement of the plate.

12. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impression surface, rotary printing means on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with said means, ink fountains adjacent the end of the path of travel of the carriage, a plate reciprocable on the carriage, means for moving the same on movement of the carriage effective to protract it into cooperation With said fountain at an end of the carriage stroke, means to deliver ink from the fountain to the protracted plate, a ductor roll on the carriage to transfer ink from the retracted plate to said ink-applying devices, and a vibrating distributor roll cooperating with said plate as it moves between its protracted and retracted positions.

13. A printing press having a carriage reciprocating in opposition to an impression surface, ro-

. tary printing means on the carriage, ink-applying devices on the carriage cooperating with said means, ink fountains adjacent the end of the path of travel of the carriage, a plate reciprocable on the carriage, means for moving the same through a plurality of strokes on each stroke of the carriage, which means is effective to protract it into cooperation with said fountain at an end of the carriage stroke, means to deliver ink from the fountain to the protracted plate, a ductor roll on the carriage to transfer ink from the retracted plate to said ink-applying devices, and a vibrating distributor roll cooperating with said plate as it moves between its protracted and retracted positions.

CHARLES A. MEISEL.

GEORGE R. WILLIAMS. 

